Cabinet increases compensation for southern violence victims

BANGKOK, Aug 14 – The Cabinet on Tuesday increased the amount of compensation to be awarded to southern violence victims, with each case of death and disability receiving the same amount of Bt500,000, retroactive to 2004, according to government spokesperson Sansanee Nakpong.

Ms Sansanee said that the government intended to give fair and equal compensation to all groups of people affected by the southern violence.

She said the compensation for death would rise to Bt500,000 from the previously set Bt100,000 while those who have been disabled would receive the same amount, rising from Bt80,000.

The increase will take effect today and be retroactive to Jan 1, 2004 when the insurgency in the southernmost provinces re-emerged.

Payment for the retroactive cases would be completed no later than the fiscal year 2015.

Since Jan 1, 2004, 2,739 people have been killed and 303 others have become disabled.

There were in total 2,739 deaths and 303 persons with disabilities eligible for the adjusted compensation, with disbursement starting from Aug 16 onwards.